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BATON ROUGE — Omaha or bust? Back-to-back national championships?
The latter is not the baseline goal for Jay Johnson and his preseason No. 1 LSU baseball team. But the former feels to be where the 2026 Tigers believe the goals should start.
With how Johnson and his staff have set up this season's team, with a more challenging nonconference slate that opens up at Alex Box Stadium against Milwaukee for a three-game series Friday (2 p.m. CT, SEC Network+), and that leading into an SEC schedule that features five top 25 series, LSU should be tested enough by the time June arrives.
MORE LSU BASEBALL COVERAGE LSU baseball lineup, pitching rotation projections for 2026 season
As the balls get rolled out for the 2026 season, let's make some bold predictions for LSU baseball this season.
The sophomore sensation's move to centerfield is what seals this. Derek Curiel, who led the College World Series-winning team in batting average last year, will have outstanding offensive numbers again but it'll be the defensive impression he makes on a highly-ranked team that pushes him past UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
Curiel hit .345 with a .990 OPS and .470 on-base percentage a season ago and he'll improve those numbers. Playing centerfield, he'll have more chances for assists and with a high fielding percentage, that'll be enough to take home national player of the year honors as a sophomore.
Only Jared Jones surpassed 20 home runs for LSU last season. This year, there will be more.
Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke is the obvious first candidate to crank 20 homers this season. The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder hit 13 home runs for GCU a season ago and with a friendly rightfield porch for home games, the lefty will hit 20 or more out in 2026.
Brayden Simpson crushed 22 dingers at Hight Point last year, so he's capable of passing 20. Kansas State transfer and Louisiana native Seth Dardar hit 13 last season. The issue with those guys reaching 20 is they may not be everyday players. If freshman Mason Braun can find a way to play a lot — which Johnson and teammates have raved about his ability to hit — he's an option to flirt with 20.
But the other two likely players are sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide and junior right-fielder Jake Brown. Brown, who slugged .528 in 2025, has gotten bigger and stronger since last season and he appears poised for a big junior year. In just 19 starts last season, Arrambide hit four home runs. As he moves into the main starting catcher role, more at-bats for him mean more homers.
There are plenty of questions surrounding this LSU team — an entirely new starting pitching rotation, three new starters along the infield, a number of new faces to the team and the Tigers aren't a consensus No. 1 team entering 2026.
But over the course of the season, Johnson and his coaching staff will tinker to find the right lineups and combinations to propel LSU to its third trip to Omaha in Johnson's first five seasons as head coach.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball bold predictions for Derek Curiel, LSU's offense in 2026
Continue reading...
The latter is not the baseline goal for Jay Johnson and his preseason No. 1 LSU baseball team. But the former feels to be where the 2026 Tigers believe the goals should start.
With how Johnson and his staff have set up this season's team, with a more challenging nonconference slate that opens up at Alex Box Stadium against Milwaukee for a three-game series Friday (2 p.m. CT, SEC Network+), and that leading into an SEC schedule that features five top 25 series, LSU should be tested enough by the time June arrives.
MORE LSU BASEBALL COVERAGE LSU baseball lineup, pitching rotation projections for 2026 season
As the balls get rolled out for the 2026 season, let's make some bold predictions for LSU baseball this season.
Derek Curiel wins National Player of the Year award
The sophomore sensation's move to centerfield is what seals this. Derek Curiel, who led the College World Series-winning team in batting average last year, will have outstanding offensive numbers again but it'll be the defensive impression he makes on a highly-ranked team that pushes him past UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
Curiel hit .345 with a .990 OPS and .470 on-base percentage a season ago and he'll improve those numbers. Playing centerfield, he'll have more chances for assists and with a high fielding percentage, that'll be enough to take home national player of the year honors as a sophomore.
LSU baseball will have multiple players hit 20 or more home runs
Only Jared Jones surpassed 20 home runs for LSU last season. This year, there will be more.
Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke is the obvious first candidate to crank 20 homers this season. The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder hit 13 home runs for GCU a season ago and with a friendly rightfield porch for home games, the lefty will hit 20 or more out in 2026.
Brayden Simpson crushed 22 dingers at Hight Point last year, so he's capable of passing 20. Kansas State transfer and Louisiana native Seth Dardar hit 13 last season. The issue with those guys reaching 20 is they may not be everyday players. If freshman Mason Braun can find a way to play a lot — which Johnson and teammates have raved about his ability to hit — he's an option to flirt with 20.
But the other two likely players are sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide and junior right-fielder Jake Brown. Brown, who slugged .528 in 2025, has gotten bigger and stronger since last season and he appears poised for a big junior year. In just 19 starts last season, Arrambide hit four home runs. As he moves into the main starting catcher role, more at-bats for him mean more homers.
LSU baseball gets back to Omaha
There are plenty of questions surrounding this LSU team — an entirely new starting pitching rotation, three new starters along the infield, a number of new faces to the team and the Tigers aren't a consensus No. 1 team entering 2026.
But over the course of the season, Johnson and his coaching staff will tinker to find the right lineups and combinations to propel LSU to its third trip to Omaha in Johnson's first five seasons as head coach.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball bold predictions for Derek Curiel, LSU's offense in 2026
Continue reading...
